Direct Patient Reporting in the European Union

Pharmacovigilance legislation has expanded adverse drug reaction reporting by patients in the European Union. But to maximise its benefits, appropriate reporting systems must be in place. In this new publication, we describe and analyse direct patient reporting systems in seven EU member States—and provide recommendations to improve them. Click here to read the report.

Seven ways the EU could improve access to medicines and biomedical innovation

The European Union’s free trade and R&D policies promote excessive intellectual property protection. This approach jeopardises access to affordable, needed medicines and impedes needs-driven biomedical innovation. HAI Europe, the Médecins Sans Frontières Access Program and Oxfam have developed a set seven recommendations that could improve access to medicines and biomedical innovation in Europe and around the world.

A new report by HAI Europe and Oxfam has found that the European Commission is putting the interests of multinational drug companies above those of millions of people with no access to affordable life-saving medicines. The lack of a widely accessible treatment for Ebola, as well as the high price of Hep-C and cancer medicines, show that it's time for the Commission to rethink its trade and innovation policies. Also see our press release.

HAI Europe, along with several other European and American NGOs, publicly criticised the inclusion of 'investor-to-state dispute settlement' in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), warning that it will undermine public health policies of European Union Member States and severely jeopardise access to affordable medicines and public health protection. To learn more, read our joint press release and response to the European Commission's public consultation on the issue.

How could TTIP damage access to affordable medicines?

The EU and US are negotiating theTransatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Under the deal, we could end up paying more for our medicines and knowing less about them. Find out how and what the EU could do to prevent this in our infographic.

Improving medicines access, use and governance

How can the EU and member states improve access, rational use and good governance of medicines? Read our new recommendations to find out.

EMA's clinical trial policy small step forward

Why is it bad news that the Agency decided to give pharma companies the ability to decide what data can be redacted? Find out in our joint statement.

This website arises from funding from the European Commission. The views expressed on this website are those of the author, who is solely responsible for its content. The Executive Agency for Health & Consumers is not responsible for any use of the information herein.